JUDGES at the 2023 International Wine Challenge in London were impressed by South African entries in a variety of classes, but the Chardonnay especially. Six of the 15 gold medals that went the way of Cape wine producers were for Chardonnay, with the 2021 vintage of Paul Cluver’s Seven Flags given 97 on the scorecard… Days after the names of
Read moreIN THE BACK corner of the Robertson Wine Valley is where the De Jongh family tell you their wine farm Kleinhoekkloof is located. It’s next to the Langeberg Mountains; you get there via Ashton, although it might be closer to Montagu as the crow flies. They’ve been bottling here since 2006, but the Grand Prix Trophy for the top-scoring dry
Read moreIN THE ANNUAL address by the director general of the Paris-based International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) about the state of the wine industry worldwide, Spain’s Pau Roca reported that 2021 had seen a boom in international trade, a record high in both volume and value. “However the scenario for 2022 looks uncertain due to the turbulence posed by
Read moreWHAT RUBBISH! Wine Spectator, the biggest and some say the most influential magazine cum online publication for wine lovers in the USA names its Top 100 for 2021 and ONLY ONE of them is from South Africa: De Wetshof Bon Vallon Chardonnay 2020. Incredible! Although better than the zero in 2019… and in 2020 there were only three: Glenelley Estate Chardonny
Read moreIN YEAR ONE of the Covid-19 crisis, wine consumption internationally dropped by [just] 3%. “A Year of Resilience”, was how the director general of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) Pau Roca described 2020 at the OIV’s 2021 conference about the state of the world, viticulturally and viniculturally speaking. From the OIV’s headquarters in Paris, Roca reported
Read moreTHERE IS MORE wine consumed in the USA than in any other country on the planet, yet there are few international wine competitions of much significance in the States, with most reviews by individual critics rather than by panels of judges, labels out of sight. Among the exceptions are the TEXSOM International Wine Awards in Dallas, Texas, where the
Read moreOF THE 16 000 entries for the 2016 Decanter World Wine Awards in London, 31 were deemed worthy of ‘Platinum – Best in Show’ (previously referred to as ‘International Trophies’), one of which was DeMorgenzon Reserve Chardonnay 2015 from Stellenbosch Kloof, which a month earlier won a trophy at the International Wine Challenge. There were five other Platinum Awards that went
Read moreTHE GOOD people of Kanonkop on the Simonsberg in Stellenbosch regularly mention that doing well in competitions is not of prime concern… Yet the estate and/or their agents continue to enter various vintages in various taste-offs and they continue to shine with their Pinotage, their Bordeaux-style red blend Paul Sauer, their Cabernet. And it can be frustrating, albeit understandable, when the award winners are ‘sold out’ at
Read moreTHE BIGGEST wine competition in the world takes place in London and involves over 400 judges including over 40 Masters of Wine (UK) as well as wine journalists and wine buyers from around the globe. Medal winners are announced in May every year with trophies presented at an awards dinner held in September. The top-performing South African wines this year
Read moreTHE STAND-OUT red blends, the best reviews of the year from around the world – and mostly premium-priced, with only seven under R100 a bottle (highlighted below), 38 ranging between R100 and R200pb, 26 between R200 and R300pb, eight between R300 and R400pb, and eight ranging between R450 and R725 per bottle: AA Badenhorst 2009 – highly recommended in Platter’s Guide
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